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Showing posts with label TECH. Show all posts

Tuesday, 26 July 2016

hack any android game or apps of your choice

  Hello to you today dear Audience ,today am gonna show you how to hack any android game or apps of your choice.    Have you ever seen a game with unlimited coin, unit or money..... Obviously you have. Its a magic, a mystry,a secret i wanna Show you. So therefore get ready!
    Now ,there are alot of Android Apps out there that usually require you to pay via Google Play Store; there called in-app purchase.
    Others(Android Apps) just ask you to register to a pro version from the trial version your using.
     While some other Android  App just keep poping up annoying ads and some keep asking for License verification.

      Dear Readers what if i tell you that such limitations could be eliminated; just imagine such benefits.
     The benefits and privileges are what you can enjoy if only you follow the following steps on how to partake in it;
        STEP 1 -6 IS OPTIONAL
    
STEP 1; Download Lucky patcher HERE
STEP 2;Open Lucky patcher and find Google play store.
STEP 3;Tap on it and select “open menu of patches”
STEP 4;You will see a warning window saying “It is a system app ….”, select ok.
STEP 5;Tap on “Custom pach” and select the first one “support.Inapp.LVL.android.vending” and tap apply.
STEP 6;Restart your device.
STEP 7; Open Lucky patcher and grant it root access.
STEP 8;Minimize  the patcher and open the app in which you want to hack in app purchases.
STEP 9;Go to purchase section and click on buy or anything that is written in your app.
STEP 10;Now the lucky patcher’s window opens itself instead of google in app purchase box. In that window you will see    “Do you want to try to get this app for free” as shown in screen shots below and Select “yes”. Non-rooted user Click on “send reply to application(Unsigned).
STEP 11;Done. Now you've hacked the In app purchase successfully. If the app is supported, then the thing you are trying to download starts downloading or the feature you want Unlock will be unlocked.
NOTE; Since this feature is automatically enabled upon the installation of  lucky patcher, you can disable it if so desire, to do that please follow the below instructions:-
1)open lucky patcher and go to toolbox at bottom left corner.
2)Select ‘Disable google Billing emulation'
That's all.... Start hackofying!
To enjoy this app maximumly root your device here
There other similar apps you can use though some of which are Freedom.apk ,gamekiller.apk. let me know if you nees a tutorial on how to use any of them, their links however will be uploade shortly

Saturday, 23 July 2016

Download Google's Latest Cheat Sheet eBook To Optimize your site

Whether you are a beginner looking to make a mark on the internet or just wanting to learn some stuff, or a pro who wants serious business online, Google is always there to help you. At the Google Webmaster Central blog you will find any number of news, tutorials, tips, and best practices involved with webmastering. Google wants to help you out in making your content available to the world, and has released many items related to Search Engine Optimization, Google released an eBook some time ago which contained all the basic SEO tips you could think of in a nutshell. Well now, for starters, Google has released a new one-page quick-start eBook which captures the essence of SEO as it is used today.

Dubbed as a 'first steps cheat sheet' by Google, this eBook is specifically designed for people who have set up a blog or an online presence, but haven't given much thought to search. They might have made some content, but don't know the ABC of getting their website into Google Search.

This book is a very short and concise guide on search engine optimization, with tips on how to create SEO friendly design, This will help search engines like Google itself to better understand the content on your site, and hence will increase its visibility.

Take a look at this amazing one-page SEO eBook here.

How to download this eBook?


Here's the direct download link to this eBook;

Download: Google One Page SEO Guide

If you're more of an advanced user, we something for you too! You can check out the more extensive Google SEO Starter Guide that will detail you through most of the basic SEO aspects.

This eBook is free to use, and you can distribute or print it as you like! Give it a read, and share the knowledge with others too and increase awareness! All the best :)

Thursday, 21 July 2016

DOWNLOAD VERSION1 OF OGBONGEBLOG TEMPLATE



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it is easy to edit
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CLICK to download now and enjoy

Friday, 15 July 2016

You can never make it in blogging if you are doing this 5things

Blogging has become a major source of income to many, thanks to the evolution of social media and the successful bloggers from whom many have become enticed.

Before, you’ll hear people say you should do it for the passion, but in  recent times, while a few still say it, many have given up on that idea. Most bloggers are now into it for the money. lol :)


While a lot do it for the money, many are towing the wrong path, expecting to get the right results, which is an aberration.

Even if you have Adsense account and your blog is relatively new, there is a high possibility that your ads account would be frustrating, due to the fact that your traffic is low, you don’t have loyal readers yet etc. but after reading this post, I believe your eyes would be open to why you are not earning yet.




Without further ado, lets get into why you are where you are as a blogger.

1. You are in the wrong Niche

If you are not in a niche where you are having fun, there is a high possibility you would fail (sorry to say).

If you came into blogging because of one famous entertainment blogger, consequently you named your blog “naijathis and naijathat”, with time, you’ll realize you are not enjoying yourself if you've got no passion for entertainment blogging.

Blogging is lucrative when you enjoy doing it, this way, you’ll be creative to generate ideas that would yield profit.

All you need to do, is to find something you love doing. No niche is bad. Some might look more profitable than others but if you are enjoying it,you’ll get people to like you and in no time, you’ll have made yourself an authority and a trail blazer.

Your niche should be one you can easily perform even when you are half asleep. When you find that area, never let it go.

2. You lack resources

I hear some people say they don’t have a laptop to blog with, they don’t have a modem with which to connect, they lack finance to subscribe etc…

With these excuses, how do you want to outshine one who is always online?

I wanted to give a guy a job to work for my client, since I won’t be available. To my surprise, he asked me to tell my client to pay him upfront so as to enable him buy data.  I found that ridiculous but I still cared and wanted to help. So, I obliged but my client refused and we ultimately gave it to somebody else.

How do you handle running out of data and abandon your blog for another 3 weeks because you do not have data. If you need a laptop, smart phone or any tool to help you blog right, do get it.

HOW?

Get a job.

It's more effective blogging if you have a job that funds your blog before you start making the profits’.

3. Zero, Poor or Wrong Publicity Method 

If you blog and don’t publicize, then I wonder who would read your posts.

Entertainment bloggers tend to spam Facebook groups, but that’s not easy or adviceable for niche bloggers because the traffic won’t be targeted.

So publicity is very pertinent, but the method of publicity is very crucial too because you need to take your contents to a market were it’s needed. Imagine publicizing an agric blog to a mobile phone and tech community. You’d lose cash, waste precious time and be frustrated ultimately.

SOLUTION: Identify the particular market where your content is needed; don’t just start an ad because your friends are doing it, understand the need of your readers and meet it.


4. You’re following the crowd

If you came into blogging because of someone who made a lot of money, you are likely to do this because you will follow his rules and his rules alone.

However, the very first rule of blogging is that “Blogging has no rule”. Stop following peoples template and find what works for you. Your style should be your style.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t adopt people’s style, but you should make sure they are working for you, once they don’t, forget them, there is no rule to blogging.

Develop your style and don’t religiously follow their style because again there is no law.


5. You are not rendering services

I have said this time and again; I’ve made more money rendering blog services than I have from ads.

I get paid from what firms would call consultation (I don’t call it that yet) people contact me and ask me to tell them how I do things, I get paid designing blogs, adding some codes to templates, domain registering and setting up, and many other services and these requests come in so frequently that they give me tough time updating my own blog.

If you are not rendering services then you are losing a lot. Create a page on your blog telling your readers services you render and, post on twitter and on your Facebook wall services you can render and you will start getting requests in no time.

It can be anything, you can offer to update blogs for people ( 15 posts at $50 for 5 blogs would give you $250) and that is cool money for a start, and the interesting part is that you can use the same content(if it is an entertainment blog) for your own blog with only little  or no changes.

You can do a lot of things, just be creative and see the cash start trickling in. To Your Success.

Over to you,

What are the little things you do that bring income?

What are the things you used to do that you later found out you shouldn’t or should have started earlier.

Saturday, 2 July 2016

Free Xbox Gold Upsets Chinese Gamers

XboxMicrosoft has announced that it will offer Gold Xbox Live service for free in China.
The news, however, disappointed some console owners who believe a subscription would enable them to access more content.
The BBC reports that China’s Xbox Gold service is very limited compared with other markets in order to comply with the country’s strict censorship laws.
The free trial was supposed to have ended this week.
China is the only country which has access to a regionally locked-down version of the free online Gold service.
Regular membership in most countries includes: Online multiplayer functions, free online games and discounts on others.
Online games still require government’s approval before they can be launched in China, which means that many are unavailable.

Friday, 1 July 2016

4 Google Features You Should Try Out

Google is better known as a search engine but it has evolved over the years and now has a number of features some people are not aware of.
Here are a few of them:
The first feature is “Google Definitions” and all you need to do to use this feature is simply type “Define” then “the word” for example it could be Define Technology.
Next you would see is a top box with a standard dictionary definition and as much information as possible about that word including parts of speech.
Next is “Google Translations” a useful tool to help you understand other languages easily. All you need to do is type translate along with the “word” to your preferred “language”.
As an example you may try translate “Love” to Hausa” and it will give you the result as SO. So you can see, this is super useful feature for frequent travellers or language enthusiasts.
Another tool is Google Conversions. Simply type the conversion you want to do and you will get the result instantly. For example, you can type “Convert 10,200 Megabytes to Gigabytes” and it will give you the result.
Public Data Explorer” has tons of information on public statistics which makes it useful for students and researchers.
For example, you can go there and search for say “Life Expectancy in Nigeria” and the results will pop-up.
However, some results on Nigeria are quite outdated and it requires relevant Government agencies reaching out to Google with newer data and statistics.

Thursday, 30 June 2016

How to Change Custom Post Type URL in WordPress

How to Changing Custom Post Type URL in WordPress.
If you have been troubled on how you can successful change the custom post type URL on your wordpress, here is a simple solution for you, follow the listed steps bellow.

1) Open your FTP or cPpanel and locate folder wp-content. Open it, then open folder “themes” and your theme folder.

2) Now you can open folder “includes” and locate “theme-init.php” file in there. You need to edit this file in any editor.

3) You can locate all post types and slugs in file theme-init.php. All the file content is split into logical block and it will be easy to navigate it. You can also use search feature and just search for slug you need to update.
or if you cant find the post types and slug in the above file, you can check it in functions.php file located in your themes folder. Note that this depends from theme to theme, some developers put that in the functions.php file while some link to another file and insert the code there.
However, most likely it would be in the functions.php file if you cant find it in theme-init.php.

You just need to find the "register_post_type" function for that particular custom post type.

4) Locate and replace post type slug with any slug you need, try not to use spaces. The code should look like:
Code: [Select]
'slug' => 'portfolio-view'

5) Save the file and test your website.

6) Sometimes you may get 404 error after changing custom post type slug, it is related to permalinks issue. You need to open admin panel, change permalinks structure to default, save website and then revert it to previous state.

Note: Should you see the bellow code in your functions.php
Code: [Select]
rewrite = > true
 
you will have to make changes to this code to avoid your URL being Broken. Replace the code with this.
Code: [Select]
'rewrite' => array( 'slug' => 'binary-options-broker' ),

After uploading make sure you refresh your permalinks.

How to remove annoying apps from your facebook Timeline

You most have noticed the increasing number of post from different apps on your facebook Timeline, which you are no longer so cool with, especial post from game apps and other. I too have been irritated by this unnecessary post from this apps. Here is a simple way to remove this apps from your facebook Timeline.

To remove an app or game you've added:

1. Click  in the top of Facebook and select Settings
2. Click Apps in the left menu
3. Hover over the app or game you'd like to remove and click x

How to print out android sms






Do you think you can print out text messages from android phone? The answer is yes, to print out android phone messages on computer, you need to move them to computer at first, then you can print them out as you like. And we can use iPubsoft Android Manager to move android phone messages to pc easily.

How to print text messages?
Step 1:Connect Android Phone to PC and start the app on computer

If this is the first time you connect your android phone to computer, you shoule enable the USB debugging. You can follow the guide to open the USB bugging: Enter "Settings" < Click "Applications" < Click "Development" < Check "USB debugging".

Step 2: Preview messages and Start Export
After that you can open the transferred sms to print them out.

That's all!

Monday, 6 June 2016

HP Omen 15.3 inch and 17.3 inch Gaming Laptops announced


Two HP Omen series laptops have been announced by HP, as refreshment of the premium series of gaming laptops.
The brand name Omen is HP’s umbrella for all of its hardcore game-centric devices and is recognized for its quality. The series was first introduced in 2014 when HP launched the 15.6-inch Omen laptop targeted for the gamers.

HP Omen 15.3 and 17.3 features

Both laptops arguably sport the same specs, save for their screen sizes. The smaller one measures 15.3 inches diagonally while the bigger one measures 17.3 inches in the same manner.
The two gaming laptops offer Full HD and 4K IPS display options along with NVIDIA GTX graphics up to 965M. Users can also have up to 6th Generation Intel Core i7 quad-core processors to power the device. They run on the latest Windows 10 Operating System.
The HP Omen laptops also come with up to 16GB of memory and up to 512GB PCIe SSD or up to 2TB for single storage options. Users can also order for a variant offering dual storage options with up to 4TB HDD and 128GB SSHD9.
As per camera abilities, prospective users of the laptops can have a wide Vision HD Camera with an option for an Intel RealSense Camera for 3D experiences. This allows users to gesture control apps and interact with the PC when gaming.
They feature the popular Bang & Olufsen and HP Audio Boost technology which offers added depth on their speakers. They also support fast charge and HP says some models can offer up to 10 hours life on a single charge of their 62 watt battery.
The two new laptops sport the HP-owned VooDooPC branding, and they also come with a ‘Dragon Red’ backlit keyboards. They sport a dual fan design to maintain performance.
HP said the Omen Laptops will be available on HP.com and Best Buy on July 10. The smaller model is priced at $899.99, while the larger pinches the pocket by $979.99Image result for HP Omen 15.3 inch and 17.3 inch

Samsung Galaxy Note 6 expected to launch in early August

Image result for Samsung Galaxy Note 6]







Samsung’s upcoming flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is expected to be launched in early August, according to famed tipster, Evan Blass.
Samsung traditionally unveils its new Galaxy Note variants in the fall of every year, and Blass had previously said the phone would be  released in the United States around the 15th of  August. Samsung generally releases its products in South Korea first unless it is being unveiled in a trade show and thus the delayed launch in the US.
Blass also said the device could be named Note 7 instead of Note 6.
Image result for Samsung Galaxy Note 6]

Samsung Galaxy Note 6 – Expected features

Apart from the launch date, the specs of the Galaxy Note 6 have recently been leaked. At the moment, the phablet is expected to come bearing a 5.8 inch QHD display.
It is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 820 SoC which will be paired with 6GB of RAM. Reports say the RAM will be offered in a 10nm chip for improved power consumption alongside better performance. Multitasking and running of heavy apps is expected to be smooth on the device.
The device will keep the base storage option as 32GB but there will be a microSD slot if more space is needed. As per camera specs, the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is expected to have a 12 megapixel rear camera, and Dual Pixel setup in the front.
According to a recent report, the flagship may also bear an iris scanner on board. While fingerprint scanners are common on most flagships today, an iris scanner is still to be spotted on one.
In addition to this, there are rumors that Samsung may incorporate a feature similar to BlackBerry 10’s BlackBerry Hub on the Galaxy Note 6 called Samsung Focus. Just like the BlackBerry Hub which contains emails, SMS, calls and notifications, Samsung Focus will integrate various elements on the phone like email, calendar, contacts and memos

Image result for Samsung Galaxy Note 6]

Friday, 3 June 2016

Indian man discovered how to hack into any facebook profile







Anand Prakash, a security engineer in Bangalore, India, said in a blog post on his site that he would have hacked into any facebook account through the forgot password section.
Normally, hackers’ uses what is known as brute-force attack through software to guess numbers or codes for password reset until it gets the right one. However, on other versions of the facebook platform they used “rate-limit” on the code they send which only gives limited chances to input the code.
Apparently, in the new version of facebook, they forgot to add the “rate-limit” feature, which is what Anand Prakash, the hacker discovered.
After reporting the bug to Facebook on February 22, he was rewarded with $15,000 on March 2 by Facebook for his troubles.
facebook.jpg

DOWNLOAD PROCESS SUSPENDER TO STOP CYBER CAFE TIMER

Sometimes your are on a system in a cafe browsing, but the network is very poor and you know your time will definitely not be running slow, what will you do?. You have just finished reading your mails, and you want to log out and there is no time for that, what will you do? You are about to read an important page and there is no time for that, what will you do? There are so many things you want to do when browsing that your cafe time client keep reminding you 5 minutes remaining or times up. but today after reading this topic, i promise you that time will never be a hindrance to you when browsing in a cafe. you can pause your time and finish whatever you are doing totally using this stunning software called process suspender.

This method works at cafe that uses only users name and password.

1. Buy your cafe time, and put it in the box provided.

2. Before you click the enter button just hold the (ctrl) and press the enter button at the same time

3. You will be logged in as suppose but with a special trick.
note you can get any amount of minutes you like.

4. Finally after the time you got is finished don't be scared just go and log in with the same user name and press only the enter key and you will be logged in with the same amount as the first time.
Note you can log in with the same details as many times as you can within 3days after 3days the card will expire

This method works at cafe where task manager is enabled

After you have logged in with your normal time just do this trick, hold ctrl + alt + del at the same time after that a window will appear with some other sub window. Among the toolbar at the top right core of the window you will see every programs running on the system then with it, you can pause or stop the time but i ll advice you to always pause in other not to make it suspicious.


What if the windows task manager is disabled?

If task manager is disabled, Download process suspender or process freezer through Google search, unzip and open the software, it function like a task manager, locate your time eg. cafe client, cyber clock, timer, time out cafe etc right click and then click pause. that's all. but know that you are on your own, doing this at your own peril.









DOWNLOAD PROCESS SUSPENDER HERE

Sunday, 29 May 2016

Facebook Messenger Lets 50 Friends Get In on a Call

Facebook last week announced that it had rolled out group calling worldwide in its Messenger app. Members engaged in a group conversation can tap the phone icon on their screen to initiate a group call. They can manage individual participants on the next screen.
Facebook Messenger Lets 50 Friends Get In on a Call Members of a group who miss the initial call can tap the phone icon in the group chat to join the call while it's in progress.
The feature allows up to 50 participants and is available only in the latest version of Messenger.

Move Over, Phone Carriers

The announcement likely will cause concern among telecommunications companies because "if you consider that social media's a form of asynchronous communication, then Facebook is the largest telecom on the planet, with about 1.3 billion subscribers," observed Michael Jude, program manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.
Facebook group calling
"Now add synchronous communications -- that is, communications in real time -- and Facebook's beginning to come into focus as the next paradigm of communications: async and sync combined," he told TechNewsWorld. "This could be a game changer."
Messaging apps Viber and Line already offer group calling for up to 200 people.
However, "Facebook is different -- it's a social media site with a huge following that now offers direct communication to groups of people," Jude said. "Viber and Line are much smaller pools of people and don't have the rich social media capabilities that Facebook does."
The calling feature is in software, so "if Facebook sees a need to expand the scope of the service, they could probably do it by flipping a switch," he noted.
Facebook stands to gain "a substantial portion of the millennial telecom business," Jude suggested.
Further, the company launched a beta of its Messenger Platform with bots and its Send/Receive API, as well as bots for the Messenger Platform. How those features will play into group calling remains to be seen.

Killing Off Telcos

Facebook's move highlights the threat that new technologies pose to telecom companies.
"As we move farther and farther from traditional PBXs and wired phone lines to VoIP services, many of which are either very cheap or free, telecom companies are going to lose this revenue," noted Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.
"They've had plenty of warning," he told TechNewsWorld. "This is just another one of those services that will make it easier for small companies and individuals to cut their phone cord."
Facebook began offering VoIP in 2013. A year later, it fully rolled out audio calls and had 10 percent of the global VoIP phone call market.
Facebook "is a much bigger threat" than chat apps "because far more people are likely to try and like it, due to its visibility," Enderle said.
Facebook Messenger has more than 900 million monthly active users.
"The overall trend is making traditional telephones obsolete," Enderle said. "This is just another indicator that trend is reaching critical mass, putting traditional telecom services increasingly on death watch."
Wireless carriers won't be hit as hard, because data charges apply to calls made through Facebook and other apps, unless WiFi is used.

What About Video?

Skype in February began supporting group video calls on iOS and Android for up to 25 people, ooVoo lets users make free high-quality video calls to groups of up to 12 people on any device, and Tango supports video calls to groups of up to 50 people.
Facebook reportedly is working on a group video calling feature, but "video introduces some issues associated with bandwidth, both in the network and on the end device," Frost's Jude pointed out.
Still, he said, "I expect Facebook will do something like that eventually

Thursday, 26 May 2016

Google Strikes Back at Ad Blockers

Google this week reportedly pulled one mobile ad blocker from the Google Play store and prevented another from being updated.
Google Strikes Back at Ad Blockers The moves come on the heels of Samsung's announcement this week that it was opening up its mobile Web browser to ad blockers.
AdBlock Fast, which was one of the first blockers to take advantage of Samsung's largesse, reportedly was tossed from Google Play.
Rocketship Apps, the company that makes AdBlock Fast, did not respond to a request for comment for this story, but CEO Brian Kennish told TechCrunch that Google cited Section 4.4 of the Android Developer Distribution Agreement as the reason for sacking the app.
That section bars developers from releasing apps that interfere with "the devices, servers, networks, or other properties or services of any third party including, but not limited to, Android users, Google or any mobile network operator."

Policy Not Crystal Clear

After its release, AdBlock Fast became the top app in the Productivity category in Google Play. That meteoric rise may have been the reason Google quickly removed the app from its online outlet, Kennish told TechCrunch.
Another ad blocker for Samsung's browser, Crystal, reportedly also ran afoul of Google. When its development team tried to upload an upgrade for the app, it was rejected. The reason? Section 4.4.
Other ad blockers can be found in Google Play.
"I can't comment on what happened to other apps," said Ben Williams, operations and communications manager at Eyeo, maker of AdBlock Plus.
"I can just say that Adblock Plus for Samsung browser is still in the Play Store," he told the E-Commerce Times.

Laconic Google

"While we don't comment on specific apps, we can confirm that our policies are designed to provide a great experience for users and developers," the company said in a statement provided to the E-Commerce Times by spokesperson Joshua Cruz.
Samsung was equally terse on AdBlock Fast's fate.
"We wouldn't want to comment about the issues another company may be facing," Samsung PR Manager Philip Berne told the E-Commerce Times.
While Google is concerned about ad blockers, it has other concerns about the mobile Web, noted Gavin Dunaway, senior editor at AdMonsters.

Better Mobile Experience

"Google's worried about ad blocking on the mobile Web, but they're more worried about the user experience on the mobile Web," he told the E-Commerce Times.
For example, Google in October launched its Accelerated Mobile Pages program to encourage content providers to create mobile Web pages that load faster and consume less precious data.
"It will have an effect on ads because it means there are going to be more static placements, rather than anything crazy that will take up a lot of data to download," Dunaway said.
The problem with ads on the mobile Web is that they're not designed for the mobile Web.
"You end up downloading everything meant for the desktop Web," Dunaway explained. "They're too big, and they're just going to suck away your data."

In-App Eyeballs

While advertising on the mobile Web may be annoying to users, it isn't where most advertising is seen.
"Ad blockers are for the mobile Web. Users spend most of their time in applications, where there is still no ad blocking," Dunaway said.
"As long as there's no ad blocking there, I don't think Google is all that concerned," he added.
Ad blockers are a problem for more than just Google, noted Greg Sterling, vice president of strategy and insight at the Local Search Association.
"The industry as a whole is getting very nervous about this," he told the E-Commerce Times.
"Google is taking the hard-line position because ultimately it sees ad blockers as destructive to advertiser and publisher interests," Sterling said.

Paying the Piper

The problem is a simple one from Google's point of view, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.
"Advertising is how you pay for Android," he told the E-Commerce Times. "If you put up an ad blocker, from Google's perspective, you're ripping off Google."
"When you decided to use Android, whether intentionally or not, you've agreed to consume ads to pay for this free operating system," Enderle noted. "This is Google making sure you pay what they think you should pay.

Facebook Rolls Out Free Voice Calling to US iPhone Users

Facebook rolled out free voice calling in the U.S. through the Facebook Messenger app for iPhone on Wednesday -- with little fanfare or formality.
Facebook Rolls Out Free Voice Calling to US iPhone Users There was no grand announcement -- media outlets noticed the new development and after inquiries, Facebook said it was an extension of the VoIP in Messenger test it launched earlier this year in Canada.
The feature works within the Facebook Messenger app on the iPhone. Users can place a call to contacts from the conversation list if that person has Messenger for iOS as well -- not just the Facebook app. The call goes over data networks or WiFi, instead of the voice service the carrier provides.
A Facebook spokesperson was not immediately available to comment for this story.

A Cutting-Edge Move

It is a savvy move on Facebook's part, Paul Levinson, professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University, told MacNewsWorld.
"By doing this, Facebook is instantly allying itself with the cutting edge of the smartphone revolution -- a revolution in which it needs to be more of an active participant, rather than just a destination to reach on the phone."
The free part of the offering is bound to be attractive to users with unlimited data plans, Bruce White, professor of computer information systems at Quinnipiac University told MacNewsWorld. "What is especially appealing to this is that instead of using your voice minutes, it uses your unlimited data access"

Sometimes You Want to Hear a Voice

The offering also fills a hole in social-media communication that, for all its popularity, is still quite noticeable: sometimes people want to talk, not just hit "Like" or make clever comments about posts.
"Let's look at a scenario," White said. "You are on Facebook and one of your close friends has just posted that they are engaged. You can post "congratulations" to them on Facebook, but you really want to talk to them. So, with a click, you call them through this new service."
Plus, he continued, it is faster than the alternative, which is reading the announcement, then pulling out the phone, finding the friend's number and so on.
For Facebook, the app has the advantage of keeping users on the site that much longer, he added.

Facebook vs. the Carriers

In short, the move appears to be initial steps for a larger wireless play by Facebook. Carriers won't likely be impacted in the short term but the long-term possibilities may cause them some sleepless nights, Andreas Scherer, managing partner at Salto Partners, told MacNewsWorld.
"If Facebook is able to deliver this capability on all major mobile platforms and allows its users at some point to call to any phone number -- landline, mobile or otherwise -- then the world largest social media platform could easily become the world largest wireless provider," he said.
"Current carriers would be marginalized by simply delivering the bandwidth to enable a user experience that is created, enhanced and owned by Facebook," according to Scherer.

The Drawbacks

That day -- if it comes at all, though -- is far off, at least based on what Facebook is currently offering. The new service has a number of limitations, starting with the fact that it is only available to iPhone users, Andy Abramson, CEO of Comunicano, told MacNewsWorld. Also, to connect, both parties need to be using the Messenger app.
"The biggest hurdle, and why this won't be a threat to mobile operators, is unlike Skype, if the person you want to reach isn't online, there's no outbound calling to a landline or mobile as there's no interaction with the information on how to reach you from inside your Facebook profile."
What this offers Facebook users is instant voice if the person is online and available, Abramson said. "This type of presence-based calling has been around for a very long time so I don't see it as breakthrough."

How to Make Windows 8 Look Like Win 7 on Your PC

Windows 8's blah reception from many computer users may have been due at least in part to a peculiar trait that we humans have, and that's our obsession with improvement.
How to Make Windows 8 Look Like Win 7 on Your PC Improving our lot has been a fixation throughout virtually all of human history, so it shouldn't come as any great surprise that Microsoft couldn't help itself when it became time to update its OS -- an OS that we had all learned to use expertly over the last 20 years or so.
That obsession, along with a need to keep about 100,000 employees occupied, resulted in Windows 8's improvements over Windows 7 -- the strange omission of the Start button and the hiding of the Windows Desktop, that icon-studded screen we used to launch into.
Well, if you don't like improvement, are simply a Luddite or just fondly miss the Windows Desktop, you can take matters into your own hands. Here's how to start Windows 8.1 into Desktop mode -- bypassing the new, improved tile-based look -- plus a couple of other tricks.

Update Windows 8 to Free Windows 8.1 (If You Haven't Already)

Step 1: Make a backup of your personal files by swiping in from the right edge of the screen and choosing Search. Enter the term File History Settings and then click on the results and follow the instructions to perform the backup.
Tip: You'll need an external drive, like a USB memory drive.
Step 2: Touch or click on the Store tile on the Start page.
Step 3: Choose the free Windows 8.1 Update and select Download. Allow the update to proceed and complete. Then restart the PC and sign in.

Configure the Desktop Startup

Step 1: Launch the Desktop from the Start page by clicking on the tile labeled Desktop.
Step 2: Right-click on the Taskbar.
Tip: The Taskbar is the solid-colored strip below the wallpaper.
Step 3: Choose Properties and then the Navigation tab in the resulting box.
Step 4: Scroll down to the dialog, "When I sign in or close all apps on a screen, go to the Desktop instead of Start," and check the checkbox. Click on OK.
The next time you restart your computer, the Start tile-based page will be skipped, and you'll launch into a Windows 7-style desktop instead. Hooray for the Luddites.
Tip: While you're on the Desktop page, check out the new-in-Windows 8.1 Windows icon in the bottom-left corner. It's a Start button of sorts, and clicking on it alternates you between the tile-infested Start page and the lovable classic Desktop page.

Launching Into the App Page

Adding insult to injury in the Windows 8 environment, you may have noticed that the Start page -- the one with all of the newfangled tiles -- doesn't include all of the apps that you've painstakingly searched for and downloaded.
The full listing of apps are in a page called Apps, not Start. You can get to the Apps page by clicking on the new-in-Windows 8.1 Down arrow in the bottom-left corner of the Windows 8.1 Start page if you want to see that page.
Here's how to launch straight into Apps from Desktop, bypassing Start.
Step 1: Launch the Desktop from the Start page by clicking on the tile labeled Desktop.
Step 2: Right-click on the Taskbar.
Step 3: Choose Properties and then the Navigation tab in the resulting box.
Step 4: Scroll down to the dialog, "Show the Apps view automatically when I go to Start," and check the checkbox. Click on OK.
The next time you click on the Windows icon in the bottom left corner of the Desktop, you'll go to Apps instead of Start. Now that's an improvement.

Wednesday, 25 May 2016

How to Speed Up a Sluggish Android Smartphone

One of the disadvantages of retaining a phone after the expiration of a two-year contract -- as many of us do -- is that those older phones have accumulated a few years' worth of digital gunk.
How to Speed Up a Sluggish Android Smartphone They're clogged up like an aging sewer on the wrong side of town.
Just like on a PC, bits of app and OS code become discombobulated -- orphaned from the parent program. Onboard digital debris becomes disoriented like a drunk stumbling out of a favored hole-in-the-wall; jumbled lethargy sets in, and the device can take forever to start or become sticky in operation.
Well, just like a PC -- or a run-down apartment house, for that matter -- you can freshen up a gloopy smartphone. Here's how to go about speeding up a slowing Android smartphone.

Get Rid of Superfluous Apps

The purpose of this procedure is not so much to free space but to remove any apps that might be performing poorly. Apps can contain all sorts of trouble-prone, permissions-based polling, checking and syncing.
Step 1: Open the Settings area by touching the Settings cogwheel-like icon. Then scroll through to the Apps menu item. In older versions of Android, it's labeled Applications.
Step 2: Touch the Downloaded tab and scroll through the list of apps. These are the apps that you've installed over the years.
Step 3: Touch the app label for any app that you haven't used in six months and press Clear Cache, then Clear Data and then Disable or Uninstall, depending on options proffered.
Tip: Be ruthless here and purge anything you're not using -- it's a lot easier than identifying rogue behavior app-by-app.
Step 4: Test by restarting the phone and unscientifically identifying whether performance has improved. Key benchmarks are time-to-start and speed-of-scroll between home screens.
If the phone is feeling nimble again, you've identified your issue.

Make Some Space

Step 1: Open the Apps menu item again from within Settings.
Step 2: Choose Options and then Sort by size.
Step 3: Scroll through the first few apps -- the most memory-hungry -- and clear the caches by pressing the Clear Cache button within each App label. This will free memory, allowing more operating headroom. Then test.
Step 4: Check storage by opening the Settings area again. Then scroll through to the Storage menu item.
View the Internal Storage graphical bar. If it's full, with little space being indicated as available, install LeveloKment's app Storage Analyser, available free in the Google Play store, and run it.
Tip: This app will identify the largest files on your device -- files that may be phantom -- and allow you to delete or move them off the device, thus freeing space. Then test.

Reinstall the Factory Stock Software

If the previous steps haven't solved the problem, this likely will. Like rehab (or the drunk tank) for our wrong-side-of-the-tracks inhabitant, this operation may sound like a big deal and a lot of work, and unfortunately it is, because you have to reconfigure your apps.
Step 1: Open the Backup and Reset menu item from Settings and check Backup My Data along with your Google account details if prompted.
Tip: Leave the phone connected to the Internet overnight if you are newly creating a backup. This will give the Google servers time to pluck the settings data like WiFi connections and passwords, which it will restore later. You can skip this, but you'll have to re-enter a bunch more stuff manually.
Step 2: Select Factory Data Reset from the same menu and follow the prompts to perform a full wipe and OS reinstall.
Tip: Before a reset save, off-device, any internal storage-stored media files, like captured photographs. A reset wipes internal storage.
Step 3: Allow the phone to restart and follow the prompts to set up your Google account on the device anew.
Tip: If your downloaded apps don't immediately show, you can kick-start the installation from Google's Play store My Apps menu item.
Step 4: Reconfigure your apps' settings.
Tip: This is the tried-and-true method to get the phone back to stock and a just-out-of-box state. Avoid restoring from backups in this case because you may reintroduce the issue or issues.